Thanksgiving at the Rices

Cam had put on an awesome Halloween party at her house, and was just beat, so we decided Thanksgiving could be here. It was LOTS of work...but everyone seemed to have fun.

Menu and Assignments

Turkey - roasted in pizza oven the night before by Dee and Suzzy. 

Turkey - deep fried, courtesy of Ethan...it was so moist!!

Mashed potatoes - Suzzy  I used mom's potato ricer and they came out so well. Gonna make them that way from now on!

Gravy - Suzzy   It was okay, nothing spectacular

Sweet Potatoes - Suzzy   Came out ok

Stuffing/Dressing - Nano's, of course, and it was great, as usual

Stovetop Stuffing - Suzzy  ( It cooked up great, since I had never made it. However, right before we ate, when I went to warm it, the microwave oven started pouring out smoke, sending people running. Transformer blew in a 1.5 year old oven!)

Rolls - Dorrie, with right wrist in a cast, so Costco helped

Macaroni and Cheese - Cameo  Nate's last Thanksgiving in the United States...what a great sendoff!

Green Beans with Almonds - Nano

Cauliflower and Cheese - Grandma

Cranberry/Marshmallow Salad - Mom...I went to get the quart of whipping cream out for Dee to whip, and my crazy fridge had frozen it solid. Dee went to the grocery store. 

Sparkling Apple Juice - Jade...tasted soooo good!

Pumpkin Pie - Nate roasted the pumpkins, froze the filling, and then made two pies. Awesome.

Pumpkin Cheesecake - Doran and Amber...from the plate to the thighs. It was good. 

Pecan Pie, Grandma and Costco.

It was fun...very, very exhausting...but tiring. Thankful... 

Our squirrel friend found the dice. He just wanted to taste the dice!

Nate's after dinner butter sculpture activity. Not quite sure what  it is...

Kayty must be looking for something...a roll, perhaps? Morgan seems irritated, but, since  he is not looking right at Jessica, it appears she is safe. 

Ethan and Nate peruse the ads till the line goes down. 

I wasn't scolding Amber...really...I wasn't.

Pre-Thanksgiving Pizza Bake

We decided to roast the two Thanksgiving turkeys the night before in the pizza oven, SO it had to be heated up...with pizzas.

If you look closely, you will notice that pesky squirrel nutcracker attempting to make his own pizza.

Nate comes in for the assist. 

First Letter For Elder Rice from Korea

Here is the first letter for Nate, from his new mission president. Lots of info that really pertains to his area. He must have shoes that slip on...and off...for Koreans wear no shoes indoors. Other info about clothing, heat, etc.  Awesome.

Animal Invasion

Dee works from home. He has meetings...lots of meetings...requiring no vacuuming or loud holiday music. I am a pretty good "co-worker". I have learned to walk in the door without talking until I check. I now know that when he yells at a printer...or a Blackberry (a frequent occurrence)...or a spreadsheet...I just ignore. He wants no help. I just keep any potential smashing weaponry away. Sometimes...he steps away...and then, I am a naughty, naughty "co-worker".

We Drove A Squirrel Nuts!

I found this squirrel nutcracker, brand new, for a buck at a yard sale. It was to sit quietly on our Fall table through Thanksgiving. Apparently, however, one family birthday celebration, and Ethan sneaking the camera away, drove this poor thing to drink!

Evidently, he first attempted to sneak some of the chicken we had just roasted in the pizza oven. 

No one could help...which seemed to drive him nutty!

So he went for the bottle of almond extract...

Sneakin' Solo Snapshots

Kayty invited me to her solo presentation at Grand Canyon University tonight. It was held in the Baptist church on the school property, the only venue large enough for the choir practices, etc. It is small, but intimate, so the audience is right there, and the performers can see...and hear...everything. She forbid me to take any photos. But...it was her first performance...at a university...so, as she sat behind me, I tested the camera on other singers and pianists. I kept it close to my chest. She knew nothing as it was her turn...and I quietly, secretly snapped away. She looked awesome. She sang like an angel. Mission accomplished.

November Birthday Celebration

Mike and Grace made a quick trip to Arizona for Mike's brother's wedding. I was having far too much fun playing with Grace to take even one stinkin' picture...even of her stitched head from a teeter totter topple with her cousins. She never let any ol' cut get in her way. I hurriedly made a matching birthday cake for Mike to take to Allison so we could sing to her at our celebration. Cake got there. However, Daylight Savings Time, or the end thereof, interfered. We were singing while they were returning the rental car. Oh, well...we meant well!

We celebrated Wade's birthday with a song and a delicious pineapple upside down cake that Liz made. (Cam and Jade couldn't stop talking about how wonderful the house smelled.)

 Then we sang to Allison. It sounded great Allison, I promise. It was a key lime bundt cake...from the tons and tons and tons of key limes off of our tree. Amber's daughter, Kelsie, couldn't resist those candles...though there weren't 30, Allison...we promise. She was an awesome help!